Tray



April 10, 1934. s PR'A T 1,954,646

TRAY

Filed Nov. 4. 1932 Patented Apr. 10, 1934 UNITED STATES TRAY Seely F. Pratt, Le Roy, N. Y., assignor to The Union Steel Chest Corn, Le Roy, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 4, 1932, Serial No. 641,304

8 Claims.

This invention relates to trays.

One object of the present invention is to provide a tray for the reception of nails, screws, fishing hooks, coins or articles of various character or materials, and which tray may be supported within a metallic or other chest in any suitable manner, or which may be unattached to a chest or the like, and yet be effectively sup" ported in a desk drawer or the like, or upon a desk top, shelf, counter or the like without danger of upsetting.

Another object resides in the provision of a tray of the nature stated, embodying among other characteristics one or more removable partitions which may be sprung into operative position in the tray and wherein the partition or partitions are effectively locked under such spring action to operative position and susceptible of being readily moved if desired.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, durable and economical tray of light construction composed of any suitable material, and in which the tray may or may not be provided with the interchangeably positioned partitions hereinbeiore referred to, and which may be serviceable in the oiiice, factory or home or other place of business, wherein it is desirable to having certain articles of merchandise at hand for use when desired.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the tray supported in suitable recesses in the walls of a chest.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the tray supported in the walls of a chest.

Fig. 3 is an end View of the tray.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, there is illustrated one embodiment of the present invention wherein the tray includes an approximately semi-cylindrical body portion constructed preferably of sheet metal pressed or bent into the required shape and having a bottom portion 1 and front and rear walls 2 and 2', respectively. The free edges 3 of the front and rear walls 2 and 2' are curled or folded over, as at 4, for the purpose of stiffening and strengthening the edges of said walls and to give a finished appearance to the tray.

The tray has segmental shaped end members 5. These ends 5 have flanges 6, as best shown in Fig. 2, which overlap and embrace the opposite end portions of the front and rear walls 2 and 2' and which are secured thereto in any suitable manner, for instance, as by soldering or spot welding. The upper edges of the end members 5 carry flanges 6' which overlap the ends of the body of the tray and are soldered, spot welded or otherwise secured to the body of the tray. These end members 5 also have depending portions 7 which are provided with lateral substantially fiat extensions 8, which are utilized as supporting feet for the tray when the tray is desired for use on a desk top, shelf, counter or the like.

Each end member is also provided with one or more exterior 'protuberances 9 adapted to be sprung into suitable recesses 10 in the walls 10' of a chest or the like as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in order to support the tray in suspended position in a chest or container, if desired.

This is but one manner in which the tray may be supported in a chest or container and it will be understood that this character of mounting of the tray within a chest or container may be altered, and other means of mounting the tray may be employed.

The interior of the tray is provided with one or more transversely extending grooves 11 which terminate short of the folded over edge portions of the tray.

Inwardly directed protuberances 12 may be provided at the terminal portions of the grooves 11 and these protuberances may be of any desired shape or form, but as shown, they are substantially conical.

Segmental partition members are indicated by the reference character 13 and each partition member has recessed portions 14. These partition members are adapted to be seated in the aforesaid grooves 11 and when the partition members are inserted in the grooves 11, the recessed portions 14 of the partition members are sprung into frictional engagement with the-respective protuberances 12 at the terminal portions of the respective grooves 11 so as to thereby removably look the partition members in position in their respective grooves. These partition members are interchangeable with relation to one another and to the grooves 11 and the protuberances 12. The tray may or may not be sub-divided at all and it may be subdivided into various sized compartments according to the positioning of the partitioning members within the tray. Under certain conditions the grooves 11 may be formed at different distances apart rather than at equidistant distances as illustrated. The tray may be provided with but a single groove 11 with the protuberances 12 arranged at the ends of the groove and in such case, of course, but one partition member would be employed.

The essential feature of the invention resides in the removable mounting of one or more partition members within the tray and the preferable way of accomplishing this purpose is as hereinbefore described, and the present invention is not to be restricted except insofar as may be necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

The use to which the invention may be put is more or less immaterial as is also the manner of supporting the tray. The tray may be used in a chest, container or the like, or independently thereof, as hereinbefore stated, and it may be used for various purposes. The chest may be used with or without the tray and the tray may be removed from the chest and used for many different purposes wholly separated from the chest. When used with the chest it will be understood that the chest is composed preferably of thin sheet metal and light in weight as is also the tray, and that when the tray is employed on a desk, shelf, counter or the like, it is very effectively supported by its supporting feet against accidental upsetting, and, of course, postage stamps, coins or other articles and materials may be contained within the tray according to the needs of the user.

What is claimed is:

l. A tray comprising an approximately semicylindrical body portion forming a bottom and front and rear walls, end members secured to said body portion, said body portion being provided with a plurality of interior transversely ex tending grooves which extend into the front and rear walls, transverse partitions fitted in said grooves, and means between the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls and the inner edges of the partitions to permit the partitions to be removably sprung into locked relation with said grooves for removably locking said partitions in place in their respective grooves.

2. A tray comprising an approximately semicylindrical body portion forming a bottom and front and rear walls, said body portion being provided with a plurality of interior transverse grooves and having protuberances at the terminal portions of the grooves, segmental transverse partitions fitted in the grooves and having recesses sprung into engagement with the protuberances, whereby the partitions are removably locked in place.

3. A tray comprising an approximately semicylindrical body portion forming a bottom and front and rear walls, end members secured to said body portion, said body portion being provided with a plurality of interior transversely extending grooves extending over the bottom and into the front and rear walls and terminating short of the edges of said front and rear walls and having protuberances associated with the terminal portions of the grooves, segmental transverse partitions fitted in the grooves and having recesses sprung into engagement with the protuberances, whereby the partitions are removably locked in place.

4. A tray comprising an approximately semicylindrical sheet metal body portion forming a botton and front and rear longitudinally-extending walls, segmental end members secured thereto, said body portion being provided with a plurality of interior transversely extending grooved portions and having in said walls thereof protuberances associated with the said grooved portions, segmental transverse partitions fitted in said grooves and having recessed portions that are engaged by the protuberances when the partitions are pressed into said grooved portions and are sprung into holding engagement in respect to said protuberances, said end members having flanges which embrace a portion of said side walls and to which said side walls are secured, said end members being provided with portions providing supporting means for the tray.

5. A tray comprising an approximately semi.- cylindrical sheet metal body portion forming a bottom and front and rear walls, and end pieces secured to the ends of the body, the body being provided with a plurality of interior transverse grooves and having protuberances at the terminal portions of the grooves, segmental transverse partitions fitted in the grooves which extend over the bottom of the body and upwardly into the front and rear walls thereof and the sides having recesses into which the protuberances enter when the partitions are forced into place, said end pieces being provided with means for supporting the tray.

6. A tray comprising a body portion which is of semi-cylindrical shape in cross section and which has in its body intermediate its ends a transversely disposed groove, and a protuberance at each end of the groove, a substantially segmental shaped partition member fitted in said groove and having recesses which fit over and spring into engagement with said protuberances, whereby to effectively removably lock the partition in place in said groove.

'7. A tray comprising a body portion which is of semi-cylindrical shape in cross section and which has in its body intermediate its ends a transversely disposed groove, a protuberance for each end portion of the groove, said tray also having a substantially segmental shaped partition member fitted in said groove and having recesses which fit over and spring into engagement with said protuberances, whereby to effectively removably lock the partition in place in said groove, said tray also being provided with means for supporting the tray on a suitable supporting surface.

8. A tray comprising an approximately semicylindrical body portion forming a bottom and front and rear walls, end members secured to said body portion, said body portion being provided with an interior groove which extends over the bottom and into the front and rear walls of the body and terminates short of the outer edges of the front and rear walls, a transverse partition fitted in said groove, and means between the inner surface of the front and rear walls of the body and the inner edges of the partition to permit the partition to be removably sprung into locked relation with said groove, said locking means including cooperating notches and projecting portions between the body and the partition.

SEELY F. PRATT. 

